Printing type spacer or the like



y w, 1938. F. J. LEWEUX' v 2,11 ,94

PRINTING TYPE SPACER OR THE LIKE Filed July 6, 1937 BY Wang-r ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 10,1938 I 2,116,948

2,116,948 PRINTING TYPE SPACER on THE LIKE Frank J. Lemieux, numrera n. 1. Application July 6, 1937, Serial No. 152,032

11 Claims. (01. 101-398) V V This invention relates to printing and particu- Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the slug shown UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE larly to certain of the printing units, lines of in Fig. 8 looking at the opp Side thereof; which may cooperate with each other or with ig- 10 S ne View Of two lines of y With the slug, spacer or rule as made by the machine spacers, or slugs located between the lines and at of my prior Patent No. 2,007,301 of July 9, 1935, either d th i i which slug, spacer or rule is also claimed specifi- F g- 11 s a V w Similar to bu u cally herein. trating the relative positions in two lines of type One of the objects of this invention is to preof a spa unit and Character-Carrying unit;

vent spacers located between words or letters in F 12 s a d View Of three lines of p It) the line of type or slugs between the lines of showing the relative position of a spacer between 10 type from rising during the printing operation two type headsinthe middle row and with slugs to receive ink and themselves print upon the between eachof thelines or rows of type and at paper. either side thereof;

Another object of the invention is the forma- F gs a end View Of a plurality of lines of 15 tion of type or spacers between type in the line type one line in contact with the other and with- 15 of the type so as to cooperate with other type or out any slug or spacer such as shown in Figs. spacers between the lines of type to prevent any 10 and 11 between the lines.

of the units from dropping out of the form of In the setting of mono-type into forms for type when they are bound together in working printing purposes frequently after the type is set position. i I up on the stone and bound together for transfer Another object of the invention is the proviif there be any irregularitiesin the formation of sion of spacers to be located between the lines of the type as cast, this type if small may itself fall type which will have recesses or grooves to collect from its position in the bound block, or if irreguoil or lubricant therein that any lint or dust will lar or too large maycause other units to drop be collected in the grooves rather than upon the from position. Also, spacers which are positioned 25 working face of the spacer. between character printing units in a line of type A further object of the invention is to provide often work upwardly so as to receive ink and an interlock between the unit parts of a form of print upon the paper or surface with which the set-up mono-type so as to better maintain the type contacts; and in order to avoid both of these same in working position. faults I have provided a barb or spur opposite 30 With these and other objects in view, the inthe usual indicating groovein the type and at vention consists of certain novelfeatures of consubstantially the same distance from the foot of struction, as will be more fully. described, and the type or spacer thatthegroove is located, so particularly pointed out in the appended claims. as to enter the groove ofa previously formed line In the accompanying drawing: of type and prevent vertical movement of any 35 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of type individual unit type either upwardly or downunits with spacers on either side of the line of wardly; and the grooved slug which is located beype p in s manner; tween the lines of type and which may be made Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a type unit carryby the machine illustrated in my Patent No. ing a printing character; 2,007,301, cooperates with this new form of units 40 3 -a perspective V w O e u of 2 in that its groove is so located as to be substanlooking at the other side thereof; tially the same distance from the foot of the slug Fig. 4 is a perspective .view of a type unit to as the groove in the type, whereby a spur on the act asaspacer between printing characters; type units will enter this recess and lock the Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a unit of Fig. 4 parts against vertical movement, thus making a 5 looking at the other side thereof; unit assembly of an improved character; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a the following is a more detailed description of corner of a type unit illustrating the barb or spur the present embodiment of this invention, illusthereon and showing the unit as of the smallest trating the preferred means by which these ad- .50 point type; vantageous results may be accomplished:

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a slug to be -By the term type unit I intend to include located between the lines of type; either a character-carrying unit, as shown in Fig. 8 is a perspective view ofa slug of a little Fig. 2,. a unit intended for spacing such char- :different constructionbeing grooved on both sides acter-carrying units such as shown in Fig. 4 or 5, 551 instead of one side; a slug or spacer for spacing? lines of such units,

such as shown in Figs. 7, 8 or 9, or a rule for printing a line.

With reference to the drawing, I designates a type unit which is cast in a rectangular solid block shape with a letter or character II on the head end I2 thereof, there being a foot portion I3, side walls I 4, an end wall I5 which is grooved as at I6 to designate the lower edge of the letter as is customary in type casting, and an opposite end wall I I which is provided with a barb or spur I8 which is the same distance from the foot I3 as is the groove I6 and is adapted to enter the groove I B of a line of type which may come adjacent thereto, as shown in Fig. 13.

The type unit for spacing character units is designated generally I9 and is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. It is similar in all respects to the character-carrying unit I0 except that it is a different height from its foot 20, its top wall 2I being substantially below the head of the type III and beingplain. This spacer has side walls 22, an end wall 23 provided with a groove 24 the same distance from the foot asis the groove I 6 from the foot I3. The opposite end wall of this spacer is provided with a barb or spur 26 which is located the same distance from the foot 20 as is the groove 24 in its opposite end wall.

The barb or spur I8 or 26 extends pointwise of the type and is of a horizontal length slightly less setwise than the smallest point of type which is provided and is arcuate in shape, as illustrated at 21 in Fig. 6. By the term pointwise I mean the direction in which the measurement is taken to determine the point of the type that is the width of the body of the type unit in the direction of the depth of a column on a printed page and is the distance between the two spacers 30 in Fig. 1. By the term setwise I mean the direction lengthwise along the spacers 30 in Fig. l or from left to right along a printed page. The rather small dimension of this spur is particularly desirable so that the unit may be withdrawn from the form of type set up with a small spreading of the lines of type or slugs on either side of the line in which the. unit to be withdrawn is located.

The slugs which are positioned between the lines or rows of type are designated generally 30 and comprise an extruded length of alloy metal of any desired thickness with flat opposite surfaces 3| and 32 with a groove 33 extending longitudinally of the surface 32 and located midway thereof which will be substantially the same distance from either its top or bottom as is the groove I6 or 24 from the foot of the character or spacer unit. It is. also desirable in many instances to provide in addition to the groove 33 grooves 34 and 35 at the opposite surface of the slug or extruded ribbon 30. These grooves have an advantage in that if several of the spacers be positioned face to face in a bundle or group-they may be more easily and quickly picked apart than were the grooves not present therein. These grooves also have the advantageous feature of accumulating such oil as may be present on their surfaces so that any fine particles of grit or the like will accumulate in these oil collected portions ratherthan upon the working faces 3| or 32 of the spacer. The groove 33, as will be evident in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, is in such position as to receive the barb or spur I8 of the type so as to prevent the type from dropping from a bound up form of a plurality of units of mono-type, should one of the units be slightly smaller than the other, or larger than its neighbor and thus not receive equal binding pressure. Also, as shown in Fig. 11, the spacer I9 is shown as located with its barb or spur 26 located in the groove '33 so that it cannot move any substantial distance vertically in either direction and thus cannot rise to become flush with the character I I and receive ink and deposit the ink upon the printing surface.

In instances where no slugs are provided between the rows or lines of assembled units the spurs or projections I8 or 26 will extend into the recesses or grooves IE or 24 of adjacent rows or lines of type units so as to interlock therewith and provide the desired interlocking connection against vertical movement of the units.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. A type unit comprising a block-like body having vertical walls extending upwardly from its foot with the walls which engage the next unit on the same line of type smooth, the wall extending from the lower edge of the letter provided with a groove and the wall extending from the upper edge of the letter provided with a spur and extending but a portion of the distance across the wall and tapered to merge into the wall from which it extends.

2. A type unit comprising a block-like body having vertical walls extending upwardly from its foot with the walls which engage the next body on the same line of type smooth, the wall extending from the lower edge of the letter provided with a groove and the wall extending from the upper edge of the letter provided with a spur at substantially the same distance from the foot of the body as said groove, said spur extending but a portion of the distance across the wall and tapered to merge into the wall from which it extends- 3. A type unit comprising a block-like body having a spur extending pointwise from one of the side walls thereof, said spur tapering and extending a greater distance beyond said side wall at one point along its extent setwise than another.

4. A type unit comprising a block-like rectangular body having vertical side walls extending upwardly from its foot and a spur extending pointwise outwardly from one of. the walls at one edge, said spur tapering with its greatest distance beyond said side wall being located at said edge thereof.

5. A type unit comprising a block-like body having a spur extending pointwise from one of the side walls thereof and tapering setwise to merge into the side wall beyond which it extends.

6. A type unit comprising a block-like rectangular body having vertical side walls extending upwardly from its foot, and a groove in one surface thereof, and a spur extending from an opposite surface thereof at the same distance from said foot as said groove, said spur tapering and extending a greater distance beyond said side wall at one point along its extent setwise than another.

'7. A system of type having a plurality of units varying in setwise thickness, each comprising a block-like body, each of the units of narrowest setwise thickness being provided with spurs extending pointwise from one of the side walls thereof, the spurs on any unit of the system being of a length no greater than the setwise thickness of the narrowest unit of the system.

8. A system of type having a plurality of units varying in setwise thickness, each comprising a block-like body with a spur extending pointwise from one of the side walls thereof, the spurs on all units of the system being of equal length regardless of setwise thickness and of a length no greater than the setwise thickness of the narrowest unit of the system.

9. A system of type having a plurality of, units varying in setwise thickness, each comprising a block-like body with a tapered spur extending pointwise from one of the side walls thereof, the spurs on all units of the system being of equal length regardless of setwise thickness and of a length no greater than the setwise thickness of go the narrowest unit of the system.

10. A system of type having a plurality of units varying in setwise thickness, each comprising a block-like body with a tapered spur extending pointwise from one of the side walls thereof, the spurs on all units of the system being of equal length regardless of setwise thickness and of a length no greater than the setwise thickness of the narrowest unit of the system, each of said tapered spurs merging into the side wall beyond which it extends.

11. In combination, rows of type units, spacers between said rows of units each provided with a longitudinally extending recess, and spurs on the side walls of some of said type units at a location to extend into the recess in said spacer, each of said spurs being tapered to extend a greater distance beyond said side wall at one point along its extent setwise than at another.

FRANK J. LEMIEUX. 

